page 1 dorset cyclists’ network · why people don't walk or cycle more and with good reason...

DORSET CYCLISTS’ NETWORKwww.dcn.org.uk

founded 1992

Newsletter no 96January 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

Next newsletter: May 2020. Deadline for copy 1 April 2020

campaigning for a cycle-friendly Dorset

2 DCN rides3 Other rides4 20mph limits5 Warning: Loose gravel6 North Dorset Trailway

9 Cyclists Liaison meeting11 Cycle myths busted13 Dorset Council news 15 Sherborne

16 Weymouth & Portland17 Cashback19 Insurance21 5000 miles and counting23 Contacts24 Membership

Editorial

The North Dorset Trailway(photo: Peter Henshaw)

See article on page 6

Lots of interesting and important stuff in this issue. See the case for 20 mph limits in villages and towns, what the new Dorset Council is planning for cycling, and developments around the county reported at the recent Cyclists Liaison Meeting.We repeat the vital advice on third-party insurance. If you haven’t yet acted on, it please do so now for your own protection.

We are sorry that this newsletter comes out later than usual, due to a serious family problem of the newsletter compiler.

DCN regular ridesFERNDOWN 1st and 3rd third Saturdays 10am. 20 miles. Geoff Symonds 01202 [email protected] Some Sundays 10amSummer Thursdays 6pmPeter Henshaw 01935 389357 [email protected]

POOLE 1st Saturdays April to October.Short, easy cycle rides from Upton House2-3 hours including coffee stop. Meet outside the Peacock tea rooms courtyard and NOT in front of Upton HouseDavid Anderson 01202 697376 [email protected]

WAREHAM see next page

Riversdale Guest House

33 Poole Rd, Wimborne, BH21 1QB welcomes cyclists!

Owner and keen cyclist Charles Glide offers details of local routes and safe storage for bicycles, tools for emergency repairs and pressure-washing for mountain bikers by prior arrangement. Close to the Castleman Trailway and a pleasant stroll into the town centre. Wimborne Minster is an ideal base for a pleasant off road cycle to the coast or inland rural Dorset. Charles is also happy to provide maps and help co-ordinate short guided rides around Wimborne. Why not make Wimborne a base for your cycling holiday?

01202 884528 [email protected]

www.riversdaleguesthouse.co.uk

WIMBORNESundays monthly 2 to 3 hours incl. lunch stop. 10.30am from Walford Mill dcn.org.uk/wimbornerides.pdfMondays and Fridays 10.30am from Walford Mill Friendly and gentle One to two-hour rides with coffee stop. 07919 136038 [email protected] & STUR NEWTONFollowing success of IS IT Wheely Wednesday? note the changes for 2020 IS IT Wheely Wednesday? First Wed monthly now meeting at Blandford’s Milldown car park starting Wed 5 Feb.IS IT TRing-TRing Tuesday? Last Tue monthly meeting at Sturminster Newton Trailway car park starting Tue 28 JanCost: £5 + £coffee Aimed particularly at those who would like to cycle more and enjoy the company of others, but unsure of their ability to join a cycling group. Rides are short and leisurely with that all-important coffee stop and back by noon. If this rings your bell, read on: rides will be advertised on www.CyclewiseDorset.co.uk or call Dilys for more info. 01258 860157Sun 29 Mar (clocks forward the night before) 25 mile scenic route from Wareham Station. 10am departure. We will be joined by Southampton Cycling Campaign and showing them our beautiful Dorset. Steady paced full day ride with coffee stop, lunch - finish 4.30pmSat 12 Sept RIDE+STRIDE for Dorset Historic Churches Trust. Full day but loads of stops to admire and visit church buildings

Other ridesThese rides are as sent in by the organisers. DCN does not accept responsibility

for their accuracy. Please report errors to [email protected]

Kingston Lacy Thursdays 9.30am1-hour “Health Ride”Moors Valley Country Park Wednesdays10am1 hour “Health Ride”.Saturdays:Bike Fit & children’s sessionsFor all the above, contact 01425 470721 or www.moors-valley.co.uk/events

CTC Wessex CyclingThursdays and Saturdays: mainly country roads from 20 to 70 miles. Other rides on Sundays and Tuesdays. Annual GRIDIRON 100 in the New Forest. www.wessexctc.org/

“Back to Cycling” rides round Poole Bay in summer01202 429985 [email protected]

Wessex Road Club2nd Sunday of the Month. For details of leader and start visit www.wessexroadclub.co.uk

West Dorset CyclingWeds, Sats, Sundays: social rides1st Thursdays: train & folding bike.www.cyclinguk.org/group/west-dorset-cycling

Caundle Velo Club, Stourton CaundleMondays: all day Fridays: mornings onlyCoffee, lunch and tea breaks www.stourtoncaundle.org.uk/cycle.htm

New ForestSaturdays 8.45am from Waitrose, Christchurch or 9am from The Oak, Burton. Back at noon No need to book.

DCN ridescontinued from page 2

WAREHAM FreewheelersWednesdays at 6.30pm, Sundays at 10am on an ad hoc basis. Steve Lee 07765 [email protected]

Can Dorset Lead on 20? by Dilys Gartside

Changed from 30kph to 20kph

Wearing my Parish Councillor's broad brimmed hat as well as my DCN coordinator's lid, on the last day of October, I attended the tenth 20sPlenty Conference titled '20s Plenty for 2020' at Walthamstow's impressive Town Hall in northeast London. I travelled with folding bike by bus, train and tube, staying the night before in Dick Turpin's Epping Forest, arriving at the hotel after dark somewhat unnervingly in dense wooded forest!A wonderful early morning cycle to Walthamstow via South Woodford, where my Devonshire ancestors had relocated their bakery Salway & Sons in 1914 (a 1915 statement in local paper emphasised “no foreign blood”). Our A503 route was easy on cycle lanes as they were 20mph limited. During the day, we heard from the EU's director for sustainable transport, local authority councillors and UK officers, who had already implemented a reduced vehicle speed tolerance in places where people live and move about. They described the obvious as well as unexpected benefits of slower moving motor vehicles including a marked increase in footfall and spending in shops and businesses where people now feel safer to walk and cycle. Other benefits include reduced social isolation as folk get outdoors more easily, increased mental and physical wellbeing when enabled to walk and cycle their daily shorter trips, reduced obesity amongst children as well as adults when they are allowed to cycle or walk to school, reduced pollution and noise from private car journeys such as school runs, reduced

danger from cars parking around school gates, to name but some of the obvious.After an evening workshop, we cycled 10 miles back to Waterloo using my old London cycle maps which I could have managed without as routes are now marked by painted roundels as Q1, Q2, Q3 = Quiet routes. Gouls and Ghosts trick or treating around us, a pint of hot chocolate in Kings Cross pub and our direct route down Farringdon Street over Blackfriars Bridge was wonderfully easy with segregated 4=metre cycle lane which meant we just caught the 9pm Southampton train home.With ever increasing pressure from parishioners throughout Dorset for slowing traffic that passes their front doors, this is the time to ask our highway authorities (Dorset Council in our area) to take the concern seriously and investigate the most cost-effective way of implementing a Dorset County-wide

20s plentycontinued from page 4

A cyclist who came off their bike recently in Dark Lane, Witchampton, suffered from broken bones. Loose gravel on a bend and excessive speed were blamed. Ian Hanstead (Clerk to Vale of Allen Parish Council) wrote to Judy Windwood and me, asking us to warn cyclists of the dangers of riding on rural roads on events, especially as Dorset Council is not prioritising the maintenance of rural C and D class roads. I acknowledged that there have been complaints about cyclists' speed from my own experience as a Parish Councillor in Okeford Fitzpaine, adding that cycling event organisers (where participants pay to take part) would undertake a detailed risk assessment including hazards such as gravel and poor surfacing. I also said in my reply that I thought the problem is more likely to be individuals' behaviour, which I also see in the poor standard of car driving in Dorset where they don't expect to meet other vehicles coming the other way. I added that we don't want Dorset to become like the New Forest where cyclists are seen as a “breed” rather than people who choose to cycle that day as a mode of transport.

Loose gravel warning from Allen parish

by Dilys Gartsidereduction to 20mph (currently 30) in line with central Government policy for tackling the major social problems outlined above. Fear of speeding motor traffic is the number one reason given why people don't walk or cycle more and with good reason when you stand a 95% chance of being killed or seriously injured if hit at 30-40mph. Those odds reduce quite remarkably to a 5% chance when speed is cut to 20mph and is why our neighbours across Europe did it decades ago with healthier thinner and happier school children making their own way to school from the age of 4. My photo (on previous page) taken in Spanish Tenerife shows they have gone one better by repainting their 30kph (=20mph) with 20kph (=12.5mph) on narrow village roads - just like our Dorset villages but with people walking everywhere!If this strikes a chord, get in touch and let's build a Dorset County-wide lobby to bring about change.

It doesn't work on a village by village basis for two reasons:1. Cost is more than tenfold compared to a county-wide scheme2. Behavioural change only works when it is the norm and that means thinking no less than county-wide .... which will lead to countrywide as it has across London where one or two brave boroughs led the way.

Let Dorset be a trailblazer, rather than being dragged along at the end.

North Dorset TrailwayAGM report by Peter Henshaw

The AGM on 3rd December was well attended. Chairman Alistair Norman reported that a section of land on the edge of Sturminster Newton has been purchased, which could facilitate the route out of town. This leads to an existing footbridge over the Stour, though we're told the access is prone to flooding – the preferred option is the (expensive) one of relaying a bridge over the old rail bridge abutments. The purchase was made possible by a grant of £70,000 from North Dorset District Council, one of its last acts before closing – that was enough to buy the land and leave the Network with a healthy bank balance for future works.A route through the new housing development at Blandford St Mary, plus a pelican crossing, has been agreed, hopefully opening up the trailway route south towards Sturminster Marshall. Stourpaine Parish Council is planning to enhance the access to the trailway by the village and add a picnic bench, while the iconic buffers at Blandford have been refurbished. Alistair thanked the Dorset Council Rangers and the councillors for their continued help. As for future help from DC, “the

vibes are good,” as the Council has formally recognised the climate emergency. Meanwhile, DCN's Dilys Gartside has joined as a Network Trustee.New DevelopmentsPaul Williams gave an inspiring presentation on his ongoing project which benefits young people who need help with a whole range of issues. Four acres of land next to the trailway have been made available by DC and work has already started on the site, which will be open to all and include a wildflower meadow, landscaped reflective garden and community growing area (a sort of giant allotment) and in the future a semi-permanent wooden classroom. Trailway users will be encouraged to visit the site at any time, and donations are encouraged through sponsoring tree plantings.John Jenkins of Shillingstone Railway Project said that their aim is to have a short working railway by 2021 on summer weekends. There is an ambition to build north towards Sturminster, but he assured the meeting that there will be room for the railway and trailway side by side, separated by a fence. There was general agreement that both

railway and trailway should work together for mutual benefit.

Graham Smith of DC Rangers said that a new access will be built at Charlton Marshall in February/March 2020, and that 2000 daffodil bulbs have been planted elsewhere.

Kilometre posts will be installed from Blandford, which are handy for runners, and may appear elsewhere along the path. DC is working towards all of its owned sections being adopted as

bridleways and there are aspirations to improve the Sturminster trailway entrance with a signal and gate, and for a visitor centre at Milldown.

Graham acknowledged that some sections of the route are waterlogged and said that these would be filled with stone.

So, no exciting breakthrough news (though the acquisition of land at Sturminster is welcome) but north Dorset's longest traffic-free cycleway is still developing.

North Dorset Trailwaycontinued from page 6

Dorset Cyclists Liaison Meeting

report by Judy WindwoodThis took place on 9th September and covered a number of issues. DCTP are working with other planning departments on a new authority wide local plan for adoption in March 2023. LTP 3 is also being refreshed but it’s not sure yet whether this will be in collaboration with BCP. Health and climate change are likely to feature more. The team is preparing evidence-based local cycling and walking investment plans for key towns and areas in readiness for future government funding. The priority for this work is currently in the Ferndown/Wimborne area as this is a key urban/employment area which could benefit from Transforming Cities Funding. Weymouth & Portland, Dorchester and Gillingham are likely to be next for LCWIPs. Two new members of staff are joining the team to help with this work.Specific area news was as follows:GillinghamDC has been successful in securing Growth Deal and HIF funding to achieve early delivery of transport infrastructure for the southern extension. This will include improved cycle facilities wherever possible including Le Neubourg Way.WeymouthA double bend has been built into the cycle crossing of Mount Pleasant Avenue North to slow down cyclists following near misses between cyclists on the path and motorists entering/leaving Mount Pleasant. DorchesterDC is applying for Challenge Fund money which may enable improvement of the cycleway alongside the A37 between Charminster and Stratton and possibly onto Grimstone if funding allows. Gareth Morgan said that he had used Dorset For You to report that NCN 2 at Lower Lewell needed vegetation cutting back and that this had been successful. DC is hoping to employ a ranger whose role will be to concentrate on progressing new or improved

off-road walking and cycling schemes. NCN sections at Lower Lewell, Clandon Farm and Southover/Notton and Frampton are in real need of improvement although it is not clear where the funding is coming from at present. DC is currently liaising with HE to create a safer crossing of the A35 at Stadium Roundabout. HE is now looking into the feasibility of a toucan crossing on the eastern arm of the roundabout rather than a bridge and is now modelling the proposal. If it looks like the best option HE will bid for additional funding for the crossing to be designed in 2020/21. SherborneA brief has been issued to Highways Improvements to look at putting in a toucan crossing on the A30 at Newell. This will include a cycleway link to Back Lane. Cllr Hall has requested that we look at Westbury, Acreman Street and Cornhill with a view to reducing its attractiveness as a south-north cut through between south and north of the town. The most effective option would be remodelling the junction of Ottery Lane and Westbury, funelling traffic onto the main route up to the A30 – the current junction makes 'nipping through town' an attractive option for drivers.A bid has been submitted to South Western Railway to provide additional sheffield cycle parking stands on Platform 2 which will be covered by the canopy. SWR are talking to Hunts with a view to acquiring additional car parking spaces which would free up some space for a cycle shelter.

AbbreviationsDC: Dorset CouncilDCTP: DC Transport PlanningLTP : Local Transport PlanBCP : Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch unitary authorityLCWIP: Local cycling & walking implementation panHEHE: Highways EnglandHLF: Heritage Lottery Fund

Bridport

Burton Road cycleway has been completed and was part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. The old railway line between Burton Road and West Bay has been resurfaced with tarmac and the vegetation was heavily cut back. This will receive a tar and chip surface dressing shortly and additional cycle parking will be installed. This was funded through the Coastal Communities Fund.DC was due to complete the East Road Roundabout Cycle safety works in October. This is on HE infrastructure and was funded by HE. DC is liaising with HE to get the cycleway along Sea Road South widened along with better crossings. HE have completed the first phase report and will be bidding for funding to undertake a business case study in 2020/21.

Reporting Defects

Kevin Humphreys reminded us of the online pages to report road and rights of way problems.Roads: http://www.dorsetforyou.com/travel-dorset/roads-and-driving/report-a-road-problemRights of Way: https://mapping.dorsetforyou.gov.uk/rightsofway/reportproblem/

Next MeetingThe next Cyclists Liaison Meeting is 13th January 11am at The Willett Arms, Oakley, Wimborne. If you want to go and represent

DCN, or in your own interest, contact Kevin.

[email protected]

Dorset Cyclists Liaison Meeting (cont from p 9)

Cycle Myths Busted

With acknowledgements to SustransHow often do we hear that cycle infrastructure is a waste of money? Sustrans has researched the myths and come up with some interesting answers.

Myth 1: There is no public support for investment in cycling infrastructure or giving more road space to cycles.Bike Life found that 75% of city residents want to see more money spent on cycling.78% of residents of cities support building more protected roadside cycle lanes, even when it could mean less space for other traffic. No study was found showing that the public does not support investment in cycling infrastructure.

Myth 2: Road space reallocation to bicycles will bring the city to a grinding halt. This is rare. Reallocating road space for cycling and walking helps ease road congestion. Cars are the least space-efficient way of moving people and goods. A 3-metre lane can move 700 to 1,100 people per hour in cars; for bicycles and walking this increases from 2,000

to 6,500. Many case studies show that changing car space to bicycle space does not adversely affect car travel times.

Myth 3: Removing car parking spaces will harm the local economy.Studies show that retailers consistently overestimate the number of customers that travel by car (by almost double) and that parking does not affect retail vitality. There is evidence that removing car parking spaces could be good for business.Per square metre, cycle parking delivers five-times higher retail spend than the same area of car parking. Many studies also show that those travelling sustainably spend more at the shops per month than those travelling by car.Case studies across the UK show that removing traffic from retail streets through pedestrianisation has a positive effect on retail vitality (turnover and shop occupancy rates).

Continued on page 14

Dorset Council cycling newsby East Dorset Coordinator Judy Windwood

South East Dorset Urban Mobility Study Having responded on behalf of DCN to a consultation on climate change, sustainability and a new direction for BCP Council, I advocated cycling and sustainable transport as a way forward to help meet the climate change agenda. I was asked to take part in further consultations and was invited to represent DCN at a stakeholder meeting on the South East Dorset Urban Mobility Study. BCP and Dorset Councils are working with Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership to develop an urban mobility strategy for the south east Dorset urban area. Consultants have been engaged to create this strategy. The first stage at this event was to develop the Vision. Much of the discussion was about sustainable transport and reducing car use. The consultants are also working on the evidence base. The Vision and evidence will lead to modelling and appraisal of options and then the draft strategy. Discussions round the table with council staff and representatives from other bodies were lively, concentrating on walking, cycling and public transport improvements as well as how to reduce dependency on vehicles. I left the meeting feeling very hopeful.

NCN Route 256Dorset Council and Sustrans are designing an improvement to the Ringwood to Wimborne route, specifically the stretch from Canford Bottom to Wimborne town centre. They are concentrating on physical improvements from Canford Bottom to Brook Road. The next bit is more problematic.

Sustrans have held two public consultations and meetings for local councillors and others, including DCN. Sustrans were due to report back to Dorset Council in November 2019 with a further public consultation taking place after that.

Cycling and Walking Infrastructure PlansLocal authorities are producing these plans for improvements so that they can bid for Government funds.

Dorset Council have started working on two of these with others to follow. Ferndown and Wimborne have been chosen as the two to start the process. I’ve met the officer working on these to discuss Wimborne. David Webber and Robin Nouch met him to look at Ferndown. Robin also attended a meeting with representatives from the town council and the middle and upper schools to talk about cycling.

We’ve all been really pleased to work on this project and it shouldn’t be too long before we get some ideas to look at.

Dunyeats Rd, Broadstone improvementstook place over the summer. The footway on the north side of the road has been widened, allowing cycling and walking in both directions. Three new pedestrian crossings are in place and at the side road junctions, priority is given to pedestrians and cyclists. There seems to be local concern that there should have been raised tables at these junctions to make it clearer that cyclists and pedestrians have priority but there is no indication that the Council is going to do this. They are clearly marked with white lines. There’s one on the Gravel Hill shared path and we can expect to see more of them across the country.

Broadstoneby Judy Windwood

Gold Hill Organic Farm Shop

While cycling around our beautiful Dorset

Countryside (on route 25) or hiking over Hambledon

Hill, why not visit us? Farm Shop selling our own vegetables/meat/cheeses/organic dried goods and local

produce. Art Gallery, Glass Blower, Cheese Maker.Feel free to roam around our vegetable growing areas.

Child Okeford, Nr Blandford DT11 8HBtel 01258 861916

Open Thur and Fri 10am-6pm, Sat 10am - 4pmwww.goldhillorganicfarm.com

Myth 4: Our streets are too narrow to accommodate cycle lanes.Most streets can accommodate cycling infrastructure by removing car parking or changing the way motorised traffic moves through the space available (eg making streets one way or reducing traffic speed and volume). There is extensive design guidance on how to provide good-quality cycling infrastructure in a range of urban environments. Myth 5: Cycling is not safe.Sustrans' Bike Life survey found that 77% of people think cycling safety needs to be improved in their city. But cycling is a relatively safe activity, and countries with higher levels of cycling have lower casualty rates. In Denmark, where nine out of 10 people own a bicycle, the cyclist fatality rate is half that of Britain. Cycling safety is determined by the conditions in which people

have to cycle, not the activity itself. This is a strong argument for investing in high-quality cycling infrastructure. When New York added 470 miles of cycle routes between 2000 and 2012, the number of bike trips tripled, but the risk of serious injury dropped by 72%. Myth 6: It’s better for the economy to build roads than walking/cycling routesThe economic growth argument is often used to support road building, but evidence suggests that walking and cycling schemes make more economic sense. It costs around £50 million per kilometre to build the average road, compared with £1.3 million per km for a high specification cycle path. Every £1 spent on building roads gives benefits of £3 to £5, whereas every £1 spent on walking and cycling schemes gives benefits of £4 to £19.

Cycle Myths Bustedcontinued from page 11

Sherborne Coordinator: Peter Henshaw

Want to ride electric with us?DCN member Annabel Wilson has suggested that we encourage electric bikes on the weekday evening rides when these restart in April. A good idea which we will pursue – there are several e-bikes whizzing around Sherborne now, and it would be good to encourage some of these riders to go further afield.

Rail station parkingSouth Western Railway has agreed to provide cycle parking on platform 2 of the rail station, under the existing canopy, though there's still no news on the new main parking area for platform 1. SWR wants to put it in the car park, though personally I would prefer a covered area on the platform (site of the existing Sheffield stands) as I think it would be more secure.

Sunday rides These continue on an informal basis, taking place most weeks. Let me know on [email protected] if you would like to come along. Relaxed pace and usually a shorter ride over the winter.

Pune, India by Anna Finch (DCN Sherborne)

I have just spent a month in Pune in Maharashtra, India, and was interested to see how cycling fares there. Sadly, there is far more motorised traffic than on my previous visit over 10 years ago, and fewer cyclists. I did see a few younger people on modern bikes, but far more of the old black Hero bikes with men carrying large loads, though fewer than last time I was here. There was just one man in lycra on a drop handlebar bike, drinking from his water bottle during his Sunday ride! And one short stretch of cycle path, a small portion of which a family had made their home. Otherwise, it looks as if Pune at least is increasingly dependent on fossil fuels.

DYLANS RESTAURANT

at the Courtyard CentreCyclists welcome

for breakfast, lunch or snacksOpen 7 days 9.30 to 5pm

Cottage Farm, Huntinck RoadLytchett Minster BH16 6BA

01202 631030www.thecourtyardcraftcentre.co.uk

Follow the brown tourist sign on the A350 just north of Upton

OS ref SY 964 936

Weymouth and PortlandActing Coordinator: Ken Reed

Despite the changes to both the organisation and make up of both local authorities there seems to be little or no change for cyclists and walkers. There have been three missed opportunities in 2019. Let's hope they can do better in 2020.

The cycle storage facility on Westham Bridge was removed by Wessex Water and could easily have been resited in a more useful location nearer the town centre and beach. As it was they replaced it exactly where it was before. And for months since the rebuild the secure door has not worked. Anne constantly pesters the Council so let's hope it will be working by the time you read this.

The light controlled crossing at Chafey's Roundabout has been reinstated but like the one on Portland Beach Road, you could lose the will to live waiting for the lights to change. Many cyclists and walkers therefore don't use them. During the lengthy work by the gas undertaking at Chafey's the cycle route was diverted and the lane widths reduced. This made for a quicker and, in my view, a safer crossing. The least they could have done was to adjust the timer for cyclists and pedestrians so that we don't have to wait for ever.

The much awaited Lidl has opened at Osprey Quay and you can get there from both Portland Underhill and Weymouth on the cycle route. But if you want to get the bus there you can't. Even though buses pass the store every 12 minutes in each direction they do not stop. Unless you use your bike you will have a 20-minute walk from the nearest bus stop. What world do our local councillors, officers, First Bus and Lidl live in? Not a green one.

The new housing development at Littlemoor was approved by Dorset Council. DCN/CTC

asked that cycle routes in and around the development be retained and improved, but our new Council made no provision to do this. It does not bode well for a future green West Dorset.

Finally, we have made a representation re the Council's recent plan for the Weymouth Quay Regeneration and the peninsula, which shows a cycle route around the peninsula. We have asked for assurances that this will be built to proper standards and be open for the whole year. This new leisure route links with Weymouth prom. On the prom we are only allowed to cycle from 1st November to Easter, but we will be lobbying for a change soon. It should be closed for cycling for only two months in the summer which would bring it in line with the busier proms in Bournemouth and Poole.

Sweaters, polos, T-shirts, hoodies

Embroidered “DORSET CYCLISTS NETWORK”Chest sizes: S (34/36") M (38/40") L (42/44") XL (46/48") 2XL (50/52") Order from www.salixembroidery.co.uk/html/dorset_cyclists_network.htmlor phone 01202 763291Postage extra, or free if collected fromSalix, 2 Benson RoadNuffield Industrial Estate, Poole BH17 0GB01202 950674 [email protected] BELOW FOR YOUR REFUND

Hi-Vis waistcoatsPrinted on the back with

DORSET CYCLISTS’ NETWORK www.dcn.org.uk

Send cheque for £7.00 per garment payable to TOWER SUPPLIES toJonathan Aris, Tower Supplies, 10 Yarrow Road, POOLE BH12 4TSAsk for “Hi-Vis waistcoat model C15.SHV06/DCN”and quantity and sizes required: (M 34/36”) (L 42/44”) (XL 46/48”) (XXL 50/52”) SEE BELOW FOR YOUR REFUND

The newsletter is compiled by the editor, printed by The Minster Press (Wimborne) and published in January, May and September. Deadlines are 1st day of December, April and August. Send copy and images by e-mail or by post

to the editor (address on p. 23) Send s.a.e. for return of photos, cartoons and other artwork

Buy a DCN garment, “How to be a Better Cyclist”, or fit a cycle mirror

and get up to £10 cashbackDCN garments

A cost-effective way of increasing our membership and raising our profile is through you, our members. You can promote our campaign by wearing a sweater, polo shirt or hoodie with our name on it. Buy it direct from Salix Embroidery, a local family firm.

DCN Hi-Vis waistcoatsTower Supplies of Poole produces DCN Hi-Vis waistcoats for £7 each.

See the adjacent adverts for how to buy.

“How to be a Better Cyclist”A useful little book on safe cycling practice Essential for the novice, and useful for keeping the experienced from developing bad habits ! Order from your local bookshop or from Amazon.

Fit a cycle mirrorYou’ll feel safer when you know what’s coming up behind you.

Multiple claims from the same member will be paid at the Treasurer's discretion.

Get cashback from DCN

Pay for your purchase and post or e-mail receipt to Treasurer DCN (address p. 23)giving your name, membership number, bank sort code and account number.

How to pay for your purchase and get up to £10 refund

Sweater Hoodies Hi-Vis

Greenwood Guest House

Small friendly B&B

in a quiet road

(some off road parking)Lockable garage for bicycles

Easy level walking distance to beach and town centre

Conveniently located for railway station (mainline to London) and

the Rodwell Trail to Portland (NCN26)Open All Year

1 Holland Road, Weymouth, DT4 0ALTel: 01305 775626

[email protected]

Laurie’s End, Wimborne. Self-catering HOLIDAY HOME

Minutes from town centre, tucked away.Spacious, light 1930s end terrace.

Wood burner, garden, bike shed, car parking. Sleeps 3/4. Cycle from door to explore quiet

routes, fabulous scenery and Dorset’s treasures.

Book a Cycling Confidence Short Break or our ‘Ice Cream Crawl’ guided ride.

Dilys Gartside NSIQ [email protected] 01258 860157

www.lauriesenddorset.co.uk

InsuranceAre you covered if someone blames you for injury or damage to them?Essential reading for ride

leaders and those they leadYou are covered if you are a current DCN member on a ride or in an event organised by DCN. We are affiliated to Cycling UK, and it’s one of the most important benefits of your annual subscription.

If you are a Cycling UK member as well, you are covered whenever you are cycling. As a DCN member, you can join Cycling UK at a reduced fee. It’s well worth it as legal advice and help is available all day and every day. If you are accused of causing damage or injury, it would save you having to pay compensation whether it was your fault or not.

When on a DCN ride you should know what to do if an incident occurs involving damage or injury. • Call 999 for police and ambulance if needed.• Do not argue about blame. Tell anyone who wants to know that that we have third-party insurance through Cycling UK.• Record full details of those involved and witnesses and note what they say.• Take photos of the scene, damage or injury • In all cases you should inform the Cycling UK Incident Line on 0844 736 8452 as soon as practicable and they will tell you what has to happen next.

For details of Cycling UK insurance costs and how to join: go to www.dcn.org.uk /insurance.htm. Scroll to foot of the page and use the link “Click here”

My Kalkhoff Integrale electric bike has just clocked up 5000 miles. Actually, as I write this it's 50 miles short, but a ride down to Abbotsbury and back this coming weekend should put that right. I've owned a few electric bikes before, and ridden many more, but this one has changed the way I travel in Dorset. Anna and I previously had a Giant Lafree and a Raleigh e-bike, both of which could manage 20-25 miles on a charge. So riding from Sherborne to Weymouth was just possible, if you were careful with the power and had a full charge at each end. All good fun, though you needed most of a day to do it. All that changed when we bought Kalkhoffs with bigger batteries – now we could ride 70-80 miles without worrying about charging, and it's made all the difference.

Cycling to Weymouth and back has changed from a major expedition to a regular ride, replacing some motorised journeys, so the bikes have become more of a genuine transport alternative and we cycle more now than we did before going electric.I bought the Integrale three years ago, attracted by the spec of a toothed belt drive and 11-speed Shimano hub as well as the

obvious benefits of e-assistance. So far, the transmission has been completely maintenance-free and the belt's looking good. The tyres have loads of life left in them and I changed the brake pads at about 4000 miles. The front light is a fantastic twin-LED which makes riding Dorset's unlit lanes in winter no problem at all, and running off the main battery, it's always there.

5000 Miles and Countingby Peter Henshaw

Miles and Counting

Continued from page 21

Fair Ground, Wimborne's fair trade shop in the Cornmarket sells fair trade gifts, food, tea, coffee, chocolate, baby clothes, cards,

wrapping paper, soaps, ladies clothes, accessories and jewellery.

The bike had a crisis after about 18 months and 1100 miles, when the motor failed, emitting graunching noises when working hard. Not unknown apparently, with this particular batch of motors, but once I'd supplied the Kalkhoff dealer in Bristol with a some video footage as proof, they replaced the motor under warranty.Since then, it's been perfect.

What else has gone wrong? The headset (a type which seems peculiar to this model) will not stay in adjustment, and for the moment I'm living it with it. And I did have to buy a new on-off switch after the bike fell over and pulled out the wires. A new switch cost (I hope you're sitting down) £80.

Everyone's big question of course, is how long will the battery last? When the bike was new the battery gauge would predict 100 miles range on Eco (lowest of the four power levels) and actual riding seems to bear this out. That's now

down to 70-75 miles, but on a typical mix of Eco, Sport and pedal-only it's still only using about 1% of battery per mile, which suggests it still has 100-mile potential. In the interests of long life, I rarely charge it to 100% and never run it flat.

What else is there to say? The Kalkhoff gets used for everything where the e-power is useful: towing our trailer to the tip; carrying Anna's camping gear to Glastonbury this summer; it's toured northern France (probably Holland next year); plus those regular trips to Weymouth and other parts of Dorset. Not that it gets used for everything full stop. On DCN rides or shopping in town we've got a few conventional bikes to choose from, and if we need to combine with a train or bus, that's what the Bromptons are for. At £3000, the Kalkhoff is the most expensive bike I've ever bought, but so far, it's certainly earning its keep!

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Advertising manager: Joan Fordyce30 Greenhayes Rise, Wimborne BH21 1HZ01202 848861 [email protected]

DCN CoordinatorsBlandford & Sturminster Newton Dilys Gartside 01258 860157 [email protected] or [email protected]

Bournemouth VACANT

Bridport VACANT

Christchurch and HighcliffeJohn Simpson 01425 275109 [email protected]

Dorchester Roland Tarr 01305 262359 [email protected]

East Dorset Judy Windwood01202 885075 [email protected]

Poole Stewart Sinclair01202 743477 [email protected]

Wareham Steve Lee07821 874914 [email protected]

Sherborne Peter Henshaw01935 389357 [email protected]

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DCN CommitteeSecretary and Newsletter editorPeter Henshaw30 Hunts Mead, Sherborne DT9 6AJ01935 389357 [email protected]

Membership Secretary: Gerry Bannister12 Farm Lane, Christchurch, BH23 4AH01425 279653 [email protected]

Treasurer & Webmaster: Phil Wilson12 Sandford Way, Broadstone BH18 9NW 01202 601107 [email protected]

Others: (details in column 1)Dilys Gartside, Roland Tarr, Ken Cook, Stewart Sinclair, Ken Reed, Judy Windwood

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Contacts are sources of general information about cycling

in their areas. Would you like to be added to the list?

Contact the newsletter editor. Bournemouth Cycling Forum : John Hayter 01202 510706 [email protected]

Gillingham: Colin Parks07974 703836 [email protected]

Weymouth & Upwey: Ron March 01305 813935 [email protected]

DCN Founder & newsletter compilerMichael Evans QPMFarrs Coach House, Wimborne BH21 4EL 01202 880966 [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Welcome to new membersThank you for supporting the

campaign for a cycle-friendly Dorset

DISCOUNTS FOR DCN MEMBERS.

BLANDFORD Off CamberBOURNEMOUTH Bournemouth Cycleworks, On Yer Bike, Primera. BRANKSOME Bikes BURLEY Forest Leisure CyclingBRIDPORT Bspoke, RevolutionsBROCKENHURST CyclexperienceCHRISTCHURCH Cyclexperience, Lawsons FERNDOWN Pedals Cycle Centre HOLTON HEATH Dorset Road Bike Centre LONGHAM Bicycle WorldPOOLE Ride Cycleworks, Cycle Paths, BikelabSHERBORNE Riley’s CyclesWAREHAM CyclexperienceWEYMOUTH Cycle Life, Westham Cycles WIMBORNE Samways & SonMOTOBITZ Boscombe, Ferndown, Winton, Oakdale

NB Discounts vary. You must show a valid DCN membership card.

SubscriptionsThese are due on or soon after 1 Oct each year.That covers from January to December the following calendar year Individuals or families at same address: Subs by cheque and paper newsletter £8.00Subs by cheque and online newsletter £7.00Subs by SO and paper newsletter £7.00Subs by SO and online newsletter £6.00Subscriptions for groupsContact the membership secretaryStanding Orders save us work. Forms are available from the Membership Secretary or online at dcn.org.uk/so.doc

Third-party insurance.If your subscription is up to date, you are covered against claims by a third party when you take part in a DCN organised ride or event (see page 10).

Bike insuranceThere is advice on the CyclingUK website https://tinyurl.com/insure-cyclinguk or call them on 01483 238 301. You may have cover under your home insurance policy, but you could also consider theft and and breakdown cover from the Environmental Transport Association eta.co.uk 0333 000 1234. DCN is affiliated to them, giving you access to a special rate. (see also page 6) Data ProtectionYour personal data is secure and will not be shared with anyone else without your express consent. The Membership Secretary is our Data Protection Officer.

For help or queries concerning your membership, please contact the Membership Secretary (details on page 23)

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A private non-trading company no. 07265177 limited by guarantee

Recycle your old bikeBikes to Africa 01206 617865 www.re-cycle.orgSherborne 01747 851397 www.hope2cycle.org.ukWeymouth & Portland 3R Cycles [email protected] 07918 166168New Forest Bike Project 07818 403114www.newforestbikeproject.org

FerndownChris Pinch PooleIan Swindon WarehamDavid SingleWeymouthRobin Beckford

WimborneJulian VernonLeslie Golding Will Dennis

SherborneAnna Hardy

page 1 dorset cyclists’ network · why people don't walk or cycle more and with good reason...

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